Seed-grading machine.



E. W. VAN FLEET.

SEED GRADING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED my a, 1913.

1,108,282. Patented Aug.25,1914-.

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UNITED STATES. Parana? OFFICE.

EMMIT WILLIS VAN FLEET, OF EVART, MICHIGAN.

SEED-GRADING MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, EMMIT W. VAN FLEET, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Ev-art, in the county of Osceola and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Seed-Grading In the drawings :F'igure 1 is a top plan view of the improved machine, and Figs. 2 and Sam sections onthe line 2-2 and 3-3, respectively, of Fig. 1.

The present embodiment of the invention comprises spaced side bars or check plates 1 and 2, connected by a transverse plate or floor 3, the said plate being of lesser length than the cheek plates. Each cheek plate is provided at each of its ends with legs 4 and 5 respectively, the said legs being connected at 6 to the outer faces of the plate. The legs 1 are of lesser length than the legs 5, and the said legs 5 are both at oneend of the end will be at a greater height than the other, holding the plate 3 in inclined position.. A roller 7 is journaled between the cheek plates at the lower end of the plate 3-, the said roller having trunnions 8, which are received in openings in the cheek plates. A

. similar roller 9 is j ournaled at the upper end of the plate 3 between the cheek plates, the said roller having trunnions 10, received in openings in the cheek plates. The trunnion 10 adjacent to the cheek plate 2 is extended beyond the cheek plate, and the said trunnion is engaged by a crank 11, for turning the said roller. An endless belt 12 is supported on the rollers 7 and 9, one of the runs thereof being above the plate 3 and the other below, and the said belt is of canvas or like material. A pair of cross bars 13 and 13 is arranged transversely of the cheek plates near the roller 9, the said bars being parallel and being inclined with respect to the frame. The upper edges of the cheek plates 1 and 2 are recessed as indicated at 14, to receive the ends of the bars, and the said Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 3, 1913.

Patented Aug. 25, 1914. Serial N 0. 765,270.

bars are secured in the recesses by means of screws 15, or the like. Another bar 16 is arranged transversely of the frame near the roller 7, the upper edges of the cheek plates being recessed as indicated at17, to receive the ends of the bar, and the bar is secured in the recess by means of screws 18 or the like. The bar 16 is inclined at a greater angle .to the cheek plates than is the pair of bars 13 and 13. A sheet 19 of canvasor other suitable material connects the pairiof bars 13-13, the said sheet being arranged on the upper faces of the bars and secured thereto in any suitable manner. A sheet 20 of canvas or like suitable material connects the lower bar 13? with the bar 16, the said sheet 20 being arranged on the under faces of the said bars. It .will be noticed from an inspection of Fig. 3 that the bars 13 and13 are of lesser height adjacent to the bar 1 than adjacent to the bar 2, so that the space between the upper run of the endless belt 12 and the sheet 20 is of greater height adjacent to the cheek cheek plate 2.

The plate 3 is provided with openings 21, 22, 23 and .24: at the edge adjacent to the cheek plate 1, and the endless belt 12 is of lesser width than the plate 3, and is arranged adjacent to the cheek plate 2. 1 Thus a space is provided between the cheek plate 1 and the adjacent edge of the belt, and in this space is found the openings above mentioned. The opening 324: is at the front edge of the bar 16, while the opening 23 is at the front edge of the bar 13. The opening 22 is at the front edge of the bar 13 and the opening 21 is spaced above the opening 22. The seeds to be graded are fed at the upper end of the upper run of the end less belt, at the side adjacent to the crank, the said feeding means being indicated in dotted linesin Fig. 2. The belt 12 is of canvas or like flexible material and is moved in the direction of the arrows in Figs. 1 and 2, the upperrun traveling from the roller 8 toward the roller 10.

The device is more especially adapted for grading beans and like articles, and the operation is as follows :--As the beans are fed, they move downwardly by gravity and are rolled over and over by the upwardly moving run of the belt. The sheet 20 is preferably of material having a brush like under surface, that is, a pile on its under face, and it will be noticed that the bar 16 is of plate 1 than adjacent to the.

greater thickness than the bar 13 so that the space between the sheet 20 and the upper run of the belt decreases toward the lower end of the sheet. A weight is preferably placed on the upper face of the sheet 20, in order to press the said sheet toward the upper run of the belt. The weight is preferably of flexible material, as for instance, sand or the like, in order that the beans or other seed may displace the weight and that the weight may press the substance of the sheet on allsides of the bean or other seed. By providing a flexible weight, as specified, the sheetautomatically adjusts itself to the shape of the bean. The beans or other seeds are rolled over and over as above stated, and those above a certain predetermined size engage the cross bar 13 and are deflected through the openings 21 and 22, away from the machine. Those beans below the predetermined size pass under the cross bars 13 and 13, the next size passing out at the opening 23, the said size being deflected by the bar 13 The beans that pass beneath the bar 13 are thoroughly scavenged as they pass between the sheet 20 and the upper run of the belt, and the said beansare finally defi'ected by the bars 16 into the opening 2 1. The pods, light dirt and other light foreign substances, are carried up over the upper end of the belt and may be discharged into a receptacle at this point. The heavier foreign bodies pass downwardly over the lower end of the belt and may be likewise received in areceptacle at such point. The seed passihg through the openings 21 to 24 may be received in suitable receptacles at the said openings.

The plate 3 is provided on its upper face at the side edge of the belt 12 with a groove 25, and a cord or the like is sewed in the adjacent edge of the belt to form a rib or enlargement 26 at the said edge for engaging the groove 25, to prevent lateral movement of the belt toward the cheek plate 1.

The edge of the sheet 20 is provided with a. strip- 27 at the edge adjacent to the cheek plate 1, and the said strip has its under face rabbeted at the inner edge thereof as indicated at 28, toprevent disengagement of the rib 26 from the groove. Above the strip 20 at the said edge is arranged another strip 29, the said strip being adapted to hold the strip 27 and the adjacent edge of the sheet in place. The seeds are thus prevented from escaping at the said edge until near the cross bar 16. The strip 27 does not extend to the cross bar 16, to permit the passage of the seed at the lower end. The cord is on the under face of the belt, so that it does not interfere with the passage of the seed. The sheet 20 is spaced above the upper run of the belt at the cross bar 13 a distance corresponding to the cross section of the seed to be cleaned.

The eat 13 holds back the seed having rough outer coats and the seed above size, discharging them through the openings 21 and 22. The seed of size are thus fed more uniformly and evenly, beneath the sheet 20, and are, well distributed across the entire width of the belt and the sheet so that they are more uniformly cleaned and polished as they pass between the sheet and the belt.

The connection 19 between the bars 13 and 13 is for preventing the seed from bouncing or jumping over the bar 13 and on to the sheet 20. A cover 30 of sheet metal is arranged above the machine, extending from the cheek plate 1 to the cheek plate 2 and go from the top to the bottom of the frame to prevent the seed from flying out of the machine.

The particular mechanism for preventing lateral movement of the belt toward the dis- 5 charge openings, is essential to retain the said openings in open condition, in order thatthe seed may pass freely to and through the same. lVere there no such mechanism, the belt would tend to travel in that directi'on.

I claim 1. In a machine of the character specified, comprising a supporting frame and an end- M less belt supported for movement in the frame, said frame having discharge open ings at one side and the adjacent edge of the belt being spaced apart from the said side to permit the discharge of material carried by the belt through the openings, of means for preventing lateral movement of the edge of the said belt toward the discharge openings, said means comprising a groove in the frame at the said edge of the belt, and a bead on the said edge of the belt engaging the groove, and a rigid bar above the said edge of the belt between the discharge openmgs.

2. In a machine of the character specified, comprising a supporting frame and an endless belt supported for movement in the frame, said frame having discharge openings at one side and the adjacent edge of the belt being spaced apart from the said side to permit the discharge of material carried by the belt through the openings, of means for preventing lateral movement of the edge of the said belt toward the discharge openings, said means comprising a groove in the frame at the said edge of the belt, and a head on the said edge of the belt engaging the groove.

3. In a machine of the character specified, comprising an inclined frame and an endless belt supported by the frame and of lesserwidth than the frame and having one of its side edges spaced apart from the adjacent side of the frame, the frame having discharge openings between the said side and the adjacent edge of the belt, bars arranged j transversely of the belt and inclining down- 1 0 wardly toward the discharge openings and spaced apart from the upper run of the belt, and cleaning members comprising flexible sheets connecting the said bars, said cleaning members inclining upwardly away from the belt toward the discharge openings, thebar adjacent to the high end of the frame being inclined at a lesser angle than the bar at the low end.

4. In a machine of the character specified, comprising an inclined frame and an endless belt supported by the frame and of lesser width than the frame and having one of its side edges spaced apart from the adjacent side of the frame, the frame having wardly toward the discharge openings and spaced apart from the upper run of the belt, and cleaning members comprising flexible sheets connecting the said bars, said cleaning members inclining upwardly away from the belt toward the discharge openings.

EMMIT WVILLIS VAN FLEET.

Witnesses:

WM. Roenns,

EDWIN Dnrnnnsn.

Gople: of this patent my be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommiuioner of I'atents, Washington, D. O. 

